Are you still looking for a good read for your summer holiday? Take our summer quiz and find out about remarkable, surprising and fun facts from the University of Zurich. The UZH News team is off into the summer break. We’ll be back with more news and stories on 12 August. We hope you enjoy your summer! More …

An untouched mountain paradise, fresh air, the freedom of life on the alp. The Heidi anime series from 1974 shaped the Japanese image of Switzerland for decades. And the Japanese Heidi also claimed a space in children’s hearts across Europe. Now, Heidi in Japan is the subject of a symposium at UZH and an exhibition at the Swiss National Museum. Masterminding the two events is art historian Hans Bjarne Thomsen. More …

DNA tracing has become an indispensable tool when it comes to solving crimes. And now microbes are expanding the possibilities. A research group at UZH has conducted a study in which they examined bacteria in tissue samples for use in forensics. More …

Even though glaciers react relatively slowly to rising temperatures, Switzerland will have to adjust to a future without these magnificent ice masses. We will manage – but the challenges facing Asian countries are far greater. More …

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović gave a Special Churchill Lecture at the University of Zurich on Tuesday. She talked about the challenges facing a Europe characterized by differences and made the case for an expansion of the EU. More …

This summer for the second time, international summer schools for Bachelor’s and Master’s students from around the world are being held at UZH. 59 students from abroad have joined 23 UZH students to explore how Switzerland became one of the richest countries in the world, why it developed into an international financial hub, and what skills it takes to successfully interact with members of different cultures. More …

Algorithms accompany our every click on the internet. Facebook and Google use them to analyze our online behavior. Communications expert Michael Latzer researches what algorithms do and how they shape our view of the world. More …

From August this year, the newly established Counseling and Mediation Service will open its doors to employees of the University of Zurich. UZH staff will have easy access to free advice if they are experiencing difficulties in the workplace. More …

Daniel Muntwyler has been interested in sustainable investments ever since his days as a business administration student at UZH. Watch the video to find out what sparked his interest. More …

UZH chemist Sandra Luber has set her sights on achieving artificial photosynthesis. A successful outcome could enable major climate issues to be solved in one fell swoop. However, there are still many hurdles to overcome. More …

Policymakers are tasked with keeping a close eye on systemic risks to financial stability. But banking’s regulators seem to have a blind spot when it comes to climate change and the financial risks it poses. More …

Digital change is also having an impact on spiritual care in hospitals, as electronic patient records and eHealth are in common use in many clinics. At a conference about eHealth and spiritual care, the topic on the agenda was the uneasy relationship between digitalization and spiritual care. More …

Syphilis sailed back to Europe with the voyagers who discovered America – and stayed. With the use of penicillin, "Cupid's disease" started to die out and gradually fell into oblivion. But not for long. Having reappeared at the turn of the millennium, cases have been recorded in Switzerland too. More …

The edible and medicinal plants section at the University’s Botanical Garden has had a complete overhaul. A feast for the senses awaits, with plants to smell, touch and taste, and children are especially welcome. More …

We have a long history of living side by side with machines. But with technology getting smarter and smarter, what does this mean for our future? This is the question we explore in the new UZH Magazin. More …

Robotics professor Davide Scaramuzza has qualified to compete in an international drone racing series that will pit autonomous quadcopters against drone pilots. A million dollars await the winner. More …

The design of websites often ignores the needs of people with impairments. The Disability Office wants to change this, and is working to promote accessible websites. More …

The cultural identity of managers can influence the way an organization finances itself. An economist at UZH has shown that companies led by Italian-speaking people take up credit more often than those managed by German-speakers. More …

Just published, the UZH Gender Equality Monitoring Report indicates that the share of women at professorship level at UZH increased slightly in 2018. The good news is that things are progressing: in the last ten years the number of female full professors has doubled. More …

The fifth Swiss Congress of Historical Sciences will take place at UZH from 5 to 7 June. The theme of the congress is wealth. In this interview, medieval historian Simon Teuscher discusses the meaning of wealth and how ideas about it have changed. More …

UZH alumna and former federal councilor Doris Leuthard continues to lead a busy life even after her time in office. As part of our alumni video series, she looks back at her time as a law student and gives us a glimpse into her personal life. More …

Huge floating solar islands on the ocean that produce enough energy to enable CO2-neutral global freight traffic - it sounds like science fiction, but researchers have now figured out how it might be possible. More …

Height – and the influence it has on our health – is the topic of an international symposium currently taking place at UZH. For example, research shows that tall women in Switzerland are more likely to develop cancer than shorter women. More …

Maintaining mental fitness as we age is a goal we all aspire to. But how can we achieve this? In a recent talk, neuropsychologist Martin Meyer explains why social interaction and physical activity do more to improve your mental performance than brain training exercises. More …

The Executive Board of the University has approved the “University Library Development” project. The aim is to modernize UZH’s library provision and implement the latest technologies. In an interview, Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger explains the decision. More …

Our Solar System may contain alien comets that were stolen from another star flying past 4.5 billion years ago. Far away in a distant cluster of young stars, a similar close encounter might have also sent the inter-stellar visitor “Oumuamua” flying on its way towards us, and there must be many more of these free-floating objects in the Galaxy. These are results of a new study by astrophysicists at the University of Zurich. More …

With a range of grasslands, wetlands and woods, Irchel Park is rich in ecosystems and is habitat to a host of plants and animals. A new trail has been designed to give visitors to Irchel Campus the chance to discover the park’s natural environment. Marking International Day for Biological Diversity, the Irchel Nature Trail officially opens today. More …

The current issue of the UZH Journal focuses on exam stress and what can be done about it. Also in the spotlight are the new guidelines for supervision of doctoral candidates. More …

Gottfried Keller is the most famous Zurich writer of the 19th century. He had close links with UZH and bequeathed the university his complete estate and archive, laying the foundations for modern-day Keller research. A major international congress is now being held on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Keller’s birth. From 23 to 25 May, congress attendees and speakers will examine Keller’s literary heritage. More …

The University of Zurich is strengthening and combining its quality assurance tools. More …

With her commitment to the environment, 16-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg has provoked a debate on values among young people all over the world. How do values arise, and how do they change? An interview with social ethics expert Monika Wilhelm and economist Martin Kindschi. More …

Fifty years ago, on 21 July 1969, humans stood on the moon for the first time. To celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing, UZH astrophysicist Ben Moore has written a biography of the moon. In this interview he tells us about the new space race, and explains how the Earth’s satellite came into being. More …

Chlamydiae are bacteria that can be transmitted from pigs, goats and sheep to humans and can cause infections. We talked to veterinarian Nicole Borel whose work follows these highly adaptable and sometimes mystifying pathogens. More …

Every third teenager is subject to violence from peers. How can we identify risk factors at an early stage and intervene in time? A UZH study investigated these questions, evaluating data from the Zurich long-term study “z-proso”. More …

The University’s Annual Report for 2018 has just been published. In addition to the current statistics on student and staff numbers and the latest financial figures, highlights from research, teaching and campus life are presented. One of the topics explored in more depth is digitalization and how UZH is stepping up to the challenges of digital change. More …

Free access to all academic publications is the goal of the open access movement. But how quickly should academic publishing be transformed? UZH put this question up for debate at a well-attended panel discussion on Tuesday evening. More …

Is better legal protection against stalking needed in Switzerland? UZH doctoral candidate Aurelia Gurt is researching this politically hot topic. More …

Developments in artificial intelligence are continuing apace, dramatically impacting our lives in the process. In his guest lecture at UZH, UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston explains how human rights offer an important normative framework for regulating artificial intelligence. More …

The University of Zurich is innovative – it’s official! UZH has achieved ninth place in “Europe’s Most Innovative Universities” ranking. More …

Children are mostly open and tolerant towards foreigners but, in contrast to adults, their attitudes are easier to change. Much depends on their friends. More …

Immunologist Janine Reichenbach is doing research into serious congenital immune deficiencies. And she is developing gene therapies – for some patients the last hope of a cure. More …

Chatchavan Wacharamanotham, Professor of Interaction Design, is a highly motivated teacher with an innovative, interactive approach to sharing his subject matter with students. It’s earned him this year’s Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching. More …

Many former Verdingkinder suffered a traumatic childhood, but some have managed to cope with the potentially damaging experience. Psychologist Myriam Thoma wanted to know how. More …

Do you need to be especially tough to be the criminal investigation police chief? In this video interview, UZH alumna Christiane Lentjes-Meili tells us how she got into this unusual profession. More …

UZH News has compiled some quiz questions to get you thinking ahead of the holiday weekend. We wish you all a Happy Easter! More …

Paulin Jirkof has been working for around a year as 3R Coordinator for UZH. Her job is to help reduce the number of animal experiments conducted at UZH and to improve the welfare of the animals involved. More …

The illegal trade in animals and plants is a highly profitable and low-risk business. Due to inconsistent application and lax enforcement of laws in many countries, criminals get an easy ride. Students at UZH are looking for solutions to the problem. More …

Three junior researchers will receive this year's Mercator Award for their outstanding projects: religious scholar Barbara Zeugin, cell biologist Federico Teloni and attorney Alessia Dedual. In addition, theoretical physicist Frank Schindler will receive a special award from the jury. More …

How do animals communicate? How do humans acquire language? When humanities scholars and natural scientists join forces, groundbreaking answers to those questions become possible. The new Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution at UZH aims to deliver them. More …

Today, dermatologist Simone M. Goldinger and molecular biologist Tuncay Baubec received the renowned Georg Friedrich Götz Award. This prize is awarded annually at UZH for outstanding contributions in the field of medical research. More …

Can water reach minus 263 degrees Celsius without turning into ice? Yes it can, say researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, if it is confined in nanometre-scale lipid channels. More …

Who gets the coveted professorships, and why? UZH has developed new guidelines on professorial selection procedures. The new guidelines should also lead to the recruitment of more female professors. More …

The contributions to the consultation on the future library set-up at UZH can now be viewed online. In this interview with UZH News, Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger and Adrian Scheidegger, the new head of the Library of the Future project, comment on the results, and explain what happens next. More …

As teacher trainer and scientist at the Department of Geography, Andreas Linsbauer communicates on environmental issues with various target groups. The exhibition he has curated, Expedition 2 Grad (Expedition 2 Degrees), opens at the National Park Centre in Zernez today. More …

A museum on wheels has recently started touring Uganda. The mobile museum is visiting remote towns and villages to give an insight into Swiss and Ugandan dairy practices. This traveling exhibition was co-created by the Ethnographic Museum at UZH. Here we take a closer look. More …

The international large-scale project LIGO/VIRGO researches gravitational waves and will start its third measuring period in April. UZH postdocs Maria Haney and Shubhanshu Tiwari are involved in the project – a significant honor for them professionally and for UZH. More …

A mysterious set of dazzlingly beautiful glass diapositives was recently discovered in the university’s Botanical Museum. In her new book, archaeobotanist Christiane Jacquat presents these botanical pictures for the first time and describes the search for their creator. More …

Have you laughed yet today? We hope so, because research at UZH has shown that humor enriches our lives. Luckily, laughter features strongly in the new UZH Magazin, with our in-depth exploration of what humor is and why it is necessary. More …

The University of Zurich is investing in research into human languages. In the next few years a great deal of equipment will be bought and labs built as part of the LiRI project. With the help of IT specialists, it will be possible to process and analyze large volumes of data. More …

Children with heart conditions show signs of developmental delays, which become especially noticeable in school. Developmental pediatrician Bea Latal is seeking to help these children in adolescence by means of a dedicated developmental support program. More …

Our kidneys filter all the blood in our body 36 times a day. How on earth do the kidneys manage this herculean task? That is the question being researched by the National Center of Competence in Research Kidney.CH, for which UZH is the home institution. On World Kidney Day, we take a brief glimpse behind the scenes of Swiss kidney research. More …

As part of Zurich Sustainability Week, leaders from the five Zurich higher education institutions got together to discuss the role of universities in sustainable development. Many measures are underway at the University of Zurich, reported Gabriele Siegert, Deputy President of UZH. More …

UZH molecular biologist Prajwal and a team of researchers have developed a comprehensive rapid diagnostic test for multi-resistant tuberculosis pathogens. He now wants to turn the test into a commercial product with the help of a UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship. More …

A pioneering project: The DIZH digitalization initiative of the Canton of Zurich’s institutions of higher education will strengthen the University of Zurich and its partners. Around three dozen new professorships are to be created at UZH, 20 of them assistant professorships. More …

Do women lead differently? How do they view employee leadership and what is their approach to management? Italian studies expert Tatiana Crivelli Speciale and natural scientist Nicole Joller each have different views on this topic – including on gender quotas. More …

On Friday the Universities of Zurich and Basel celebrated their joint professorial chair for Nordic studies. Invited guests included the Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish ambassadors. More …

A brilliant lecture by Egyptologist Jan Assmann opened the series of Ringvorlesungen on the theme of Migration in Antiquity. The event also marked the opening of the ZAZH – Zurich Center for the Study of the Ancient World. More …

François Chapuis is as passionate about creative details as he is about great architecture. He has been Director of Real Estate and Facility Management at UZH since December 2018. More …

Film studies has been remarkably indifferent when it comes to exploring the topic of color. The research project FilmColors wants to change this – and in doing so open up a range of new tools for film studies scholars. More …

A public lecture series at UZH investigates the many faces of poet, writer, politician and painter Gottfried Keller, who was born 200 years ago. Notable Keller expert Ursula Amrein discusses why his work has remained meaningful to this day and what he had in common with railway pioneer Alfred Escher, who was a contemporary of Keller. More …

Professor of criminal law Marc Thommen has joined forces with 13 of his colleagues to bring out Switzerland’s first-ever textbook about law published in open access. The freely accessible publication can be downloaded online for free. More …

In the first issue of the UZH Journal in 2019, we take a look at the study reforms in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. From the Fall Semester 2019 onwards, students can look forward to a revamped study experience. The new structure of the study programs has sharpened the profile of UZH’s Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. More …

There are 34 children’s universities in Egypt. Sybille Leuthold, head of the Children’s University of Zurich, was a guest of honor at their recent meeting in Cairo. Read about her impressions in our interview. More …

UZH’s chair for global history has introduced a podcast series in cooperation with partners from across Europe. It provides listeners with fascinating insights into the history and historiography of East Asia, from the 16th century to the present. More …

There are many different ways of looking back on your life. One example is writing an autobiography. The website meet-my-life.net guides people wishing to put the story of their lives into words. Earlier this week, the best autobiographies were awarded prizes at an event held in UZH’s main lecture hall. More …

Ecologist Florian Altermatt has presided over the Swiss Biodiversity Forum since the beginning of the year. He’s committed to researching biodiversity and facilitating the cooperation of scientists and policy-makers. More …

Migration has brought the Middle East much closer, said Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl in her lecture at UZH. At the same time, Europe is losing influence in the Middle East while China strengthens its presence in Syria. More …

Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar since last spring. A law degree from the University of Zurich formed the basis for her exceptional career. More … 1 Comment

Incontinence is unpleasant and limiting for the women who suffer from it. Urologists are working on a new therapy to treat the condition, using the body’s own muscle cells to get the damaged urethral sphincter working again. More …

UZH historian Gesine Krüger is one of the editors of the online platform Geschichte der Gegenwart. She has recently published an article about Négritude. We met her to find out why she got involved in the magazine. More …

Jupiter is the most important planet in our solar system, says Ravit Helled, an astrophysicist who’s investigating how the round giant and other planets were formed. More …

Political scientist Stefanie Walter’s area of research is political current affairs. But she doesn’t just watch from the sidelines, she also gets involved in the debate – especially about the worrying future of Europe. More …

More lifestyle choices or total exhaustion: There are pros and cons to flexible working hours says ergonomist Georg Bauer. In this interview he talks about the effects of digitalization and how to feel healthy and satisfied at work. More …

A research team from UZH is investigating the historically significant buildings of the rural district of Dielsdorf near Zurich. The results will be published in a volume of the book series "Die Kunstdenkmaler der Schweiz". More …

Gabriele Siegert started her work as Deputy President of UZH last summer, in addition to her position as Vice President. Her goals include streamlining evaluation processes and promoting sustainability and diversity at UZH. More …

Didactic poetry combining alchemy and religion: The 12th-century Moroccan manuscript “Splinters of Gold” took the Arabic world by storm. But when Regula Forster was researching its author, she made a surprising discovery. More …